At 06:15 PM 8/17/99 -0500, Laurie Hodges wrote:
>>>>
<excerpt><bigger>A related question: Given that by planting time 1999 it
was generally known that there was an oversupply of grain(s) in the
pipeline with a forecast of continued extremely low prices including
limited export market (a major "user" of U.S. grain), why would someone
go ahead and plant more? -- which is now coming into the pipeline and
further compounding the over-supply and low market prices.
I think it goes beyond, "They always plant in the spring - they can't
help themselves- it's a habit." Most farmers' aren't that dumb. They
knew it was probably going to be a corn market less than $2.00/bu by
harvest time. I suspect ( and eagerly seek confirmation/denial) that it
has something to do with how they get paid from the Federal government,
either involving the farm program, crop disaster payments, or crop
insurance that requires the farmer to plant in order to receive whatever
"bailout" is provided. Similarly, given that prices are below production
costs and the crop is in the field, why harvest and incur additional
equipment depreciation and harvest expenses? Seems like throwing more
money down the drain, whether out of pocket expenses or equipment
depreciation and storage (if available) fees.
At 04:06 PM 8/17/1999 -0500, MEBUCKNER@wvwise.org wrote:
> Your answers can be helpful in developing our local strategy for
>farming
>and farmland protection, and hope you will send replies to the
following
>question to me.
>
>QUESTION: Why do you think so many good farmers hold on and keep on
>farming, barely making it, working so hard, and getting so little
monetary
>reward for their labors?
>
>MY COMMENTS: I realize that in some areas this may not apply, but it
does
>apply here. Our farmers are experiencing two of the worst crises they
>have ever experienced: worst drought in many decades, and low
commodity
>prices. I want to know what many of you think about WHY farmers keep
>trying to hold onto their land and keep farming in the face of so many
>difficulties.
>
> Anybody in insurance, plumbing, computer work, or just about any
>other
>job, under conditions farmers face, would have left that job long ago
and
>found another line of work. Incredibly long hours, hard physical
labor,
>little monetary reward (perhaps 2 cents out of every consumer food
>dollar). All that plus the drought. Plus knowing that people other
than
>farmers are rejoicing in the monetary rewards of our present terrific
>economy.
>
> I am not looking for suggestions at this time about other
options
>for
>farmers in their
>farming. I just want to know WHY you all think farmers hang in there.
>
> Thanks.
> Marian
>Buckner
>
>
>
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-----
Dr. Laurie Hodges, Vegetable Specialist
377 Plant Sciences - University of Nebraska
Lincoln, NE 68583-0724
phone: 402-472-2854 FAX: 402-472-8650
e-mail: lhodges@unl.edu
</bigger></excerpt><bigger><<<<<<<<
</bigger>
Mark Ritchie, President
Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy
2105 First Ave. South
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404 USA
612-870-3400 (phone) 612-870-4846 (fax)
mritchie@iatp.org www.iatp.org
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